New Berbice river bridge being considered amid region’s development push

A new Berbice river bridge is being considered as a suite of new infrastructure projects are carded for the Ancient County, President Dr. Irfaan Ali said on Friday night.

The existing bridge connects Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), facilitating vehicular traffic.

But the Head of State told those gathered at the launch of this year’s Berbice Expo and Trade Fair that a new bridge, similar to the forthcoming new Demerara Harbour crossing, is being considered.

“We are, at this moment, evaluating the need for a new Berbice Bridge that will not hinder the development of the Berbice river,” he said

If pursued, this bridge will allow for easy travel all the way to Moleson Creek in the Corentyne area of Berbice.

Already, there are plans to build a new Berbice highway that goes all the way to Moleson Creek and the forthcoming Corentyne river bridge that is expected to connect Guyana and Suriname.

But these developments are only part of the new projects expected in the region.

A new 30,000-barrel oil refinery, which was previously announced, should be established in the region with the government requesting proposals soon.

This, he said, will create massive opportunities in several sectors, including transport and logistics, services, rentals and construction.

He also highlighted that the government is also finalising work for the construction of the new stadium that will be built to International Cricket Council (ICC) standard along with a new mall, call centres, disability centre, recreational centre, and a state-of-the-art hotel.

“We can’t sleepwalk in the future, we have to work hard,” Ali said, as he sought to garner support from Berbicians.

He also noted, “I guarantee you, the structure of the economy that we are building, the dynamism, the diversity will be so integrated and multi-dimensional that we will be able to compete among the best economies in the world in every area of structural development that we are pursuing.”

Meanwhile, President of the Central Corentyne Chamber of Commerce (CCCC) Mohamed Raffik noted that praises should be given to the government for their forward approach to developing Guyana.

He also stated that the Berbice Expo and Trade Fair is the largest the CCCC has ever held.